Core Values Matter (a lot)
UNHAPPY is expensive
Low customer loyalty, high employee turnover, eroding profits and, tying it all together, the reputation that yours is a place that should be avoided- truly a recipe for disaster.
But is doesn’t have to be that way. People appreciate authenticity. Given the choice, they will choose to do business where they are listened to and where they can make a contribution. And where they fit in. People leave when it is TOO LATE.
Breaking the cycle
Every day, business leaders adjust the thermostat. And while everyone plays a part in the “ambient temperature,” if you will, the senior leaders illustrate every day what’s important, what matters most. I challenge you to consider the temperature you cast. Are you respected and approachable, or are you feared? (we often tell ourselves that fear is respect, but it isn’t, not really) Are people aligned with your mission for success, or are they just marking time?
Do people in your business (customers and employees alike) understand your values? Do they know and care about what is most important to you? AND, have they internalized those values, and do they align with you? In good organizations, most do. But those that don’t align disengage instead. The customer that leaves is expensive, without a doubt, but the disengaged employee is hands down, the most expensive avoidable cost in business today.
If your customers and employees were surveyed, how would they answer the following questions?
· What are the company’s core values?
· How do they utilize those values to drive daily business decisions?
· How well do those values align to my own?
· What role do I play in the company’s success?
· What separates this company from their competition?
Closing thoughts
In my experience, most disengaged employees want to be back in the fold. If you want them back, let it be known what’s important and what is expected. And when you start, if this whole “declared values thing” is new, be patient. Trust needs to be earned and it usually comes from being shown, not being told.
Good luck
(Originally shared on LinkedIn 2/14/17)
